The present invention relates generally to slot antennas, and more particularly to a slot antenna having controllable polarization achieved by means of ear-like members positioned adjacent the slots.
A conventional antenna can produce an arbitrarily polarized radiating field by combining two orthogonally polarized elements having the proper amplitude and phase relationship. This typically involves the use of two antennas employing a power divider and a phase shifter. Consequently, such conventional antenna designs are relatively complex, bulky and not appropriate for use in a standing wave array, for example.
Conventional slot antennas produce a radiation pattern having a polarization vector that has a direction oriented across the slots. It is desirable in many instances to be able to control the polarization direction of the energy radiated from such slot antennas in order to provide a preselected polarization state. However, heretofore, no such slot antennas have been designed.